In October 2013, this article http://news.yahoo.com/freelancers-soon-160709627.html reinforced that conclusion and pointed out the need to keep your skills up-to-date. That started me to thinking about the skills needed to successfully utilize this new job marketplace and decided to join that marketplace and learn more. I joined Elance, Freelancer and O-Desk in November 2013. It didn’t take long to decide that Elance was the way to go, and I’ve placed all my efforts in that platform.

Here are some more sites that will help you decide if this marketplace is for you.

Quoting from this website: http://www.forbes.com/sites/northwesternmutual/2014/12/30/4-reasons-why-millennials-and-boomers-are-joining-the-freelance-economy/ “Freelancing gives workers control over their own job descriptions, allowing them to take on “micro-jobs” to try out different projects. “The definition of a micro-job is the skilled and semi-skilled work required for a segment of a project or task of limited duration,” said Ken Bodnar, author of 55 and Scared, a book about micro-jobbing for older workers. “Freelancing allows Boomers to work at a job that is a good fit with their skill set, experience and work history.” Micro-jobbing lets Millennials take on projects that can help them identify their core area of expertise.”

Quoting from this website: http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2014/09/08/1-in-3-american-workers-freelances-but-is-the-phenomenon-growing/, freelancers fall into five categories. “Independent contractors (40%), who are what people typically think of as freelancers — people who don’t have a single employer but work on many projects for different clients. Moonlighters (27%) who have a regular 9-5 but make extra money on the side. Diversified workers (18%), who have multiple sources of income, such as a part-time dentist receptionist who also drives for Uber and teaches yoga. Temporary workers (10%) who have a single employer for a set period of time. Freelance business owners (5%), who have between one and five employees.